Do you have a loved one with an addiction? Are you tirelessly searching for ways you can help while trying to learn how addiction affects families? Unfortunately, your loved one probably doesn’t realize the extent of how much their addiction is affecting those around them.
If you let the addiction continue, it could cost your loved one their life. It could also cost you or another family member their life as well. So why not take some time now to learn all you can about how addiction affects families before it’s too late.
The Signs of Addiction
The number of adults and children who are being tortured by addiction is alarming. Unfortunately, it is often hard to tell if someone has an addiction or is beginning to develop an addiction. The most common signs of addiction are as follows:
- Continued use of a drug after it’s no longer needed
- The need for larger amounts of a drug to get the same effect
- Withdrawal symptoms are experienced when the drug wears off
- The inability to stop taking the drug even if the person wants to
- A significant amount of time is spent thinking about the drug
- A loss of interest in previously important things
- Having trouble performing daily tasks such as working and cooking
These are just of few of the signs of addiction.
How Addiction Affects Families at the Onset
Everyone is biologically different and will react and respond differently to any given addictive drug. Additionally, the amount of time and the amount of drug use it takes for a person to become addicted also varies. Therefore, it’s sometimes difficult to determine how addiction affects families at the onset of the situation.
It’s very common for a family to be unable to recognize their loved one has an addiction. And, even when the family feels pretty certain their loved one is becoming or already has an addiction, denial and trying to justify the issue is quite common.
A family who doesn’t admit there is a problem will just become enablers of the addiction. It’s not until the family of an addicted loved one admits there is a problem can that a loved one gets the help they need. Unfortunately, sometimes this realization comes too late.
How the Progression of Addiction Affects Families
As addiction continues to progress, the effects of the addiction will begin to grow beyond the immediate family to friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
According to NCBI, the family of an addicted loved one will begin to display their effects of the addiction. Many people with an addicted loved one begin to interact differently with the family unit and others. They will begin acting negatively, parental inconsistency, denial, a miscarried expression of anger, self-medication, unrealistic expectations, and more.
The addiction affects families in other ways, as well. The different family members might respond in different ways, such a becoming codependent or begin abusing drugs or alcohol themselves.
How to Get Addiction Help for a Loved One
The only way the cycle of addiction will stop is if you get help. That means getting help not only for the person with the addiction but also for the family unit as well. Finding a reputable treatment center such as Springfield Wellness Center can help with the following services:
- Chemical dependence detox
- Mental health services
- Mood disorder programs
- General health and wellness programs
- Wellness empowerment meetings
- Brain restoration and NDA+ (BR+NAD)
Springfield Wellness Center Can Help
The Springfield Wellness Center in Louisiana is here for you and your loved one. We treat the whole person, as well as the entire family unit. Our expert addiction team is full of caring, compassionate people who know what to do to help you and your loved one get back to a new normal. So call us today at 844.334.4727 to schedule a consultation or to learn exactly how addiction affects families.
